


Foolish Men Build Houses On Sand

by Lick_the_spoon_clean



Series: Somebody To Love [1]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Coffee, Everyone from overewatch is there, Lots of stress and sadness, Mei is gonna help her, Multi, Multiple main characters, My first angst, So far from fluff, So is talon, Sombras a bitch, Stress and sadness, Tea, Zarya needs to learn to love again, a road to recovery, enjoy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-23
Updated: 2017-08-16
Packaged: 2018-12-05 23:31:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11588418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lick_the_spoon_clean/pseuds/Lick_the_spoon_clean
Summary: Recovery is a long road. Zarya had to walk that road.





	1. Machine Guns Ready To Go

**Author's Note:**

> heeeeeeeeyyyyyyyy yaaaaaalll found some inspiration.
> 
> Um ok few things 1. This will be a weekly update kinda thing IF I CAN MANAGE THAT SIMPLE TASK.
> 
> 2\. ace from over at cerealwatch edited the whole of this Shit. This would be SO much worse without them so give it up.
> 
> 3\. My tumblr is again @sythretention
> 
> 4.enjoy?

Zarya was not new to war. Even as a child, she had been exposed to war. Daily bombardments of death and injury and mutilation among friends, family, and even total strangers. Not to mention the crash of mortar shells and gunfire landing closer and closer to her home in Lytkarino as the omnics advanced further and further inland every day. 

It had been hard to keep going when every member of her family had died in the "Slaughter of the Southeast,” which she had only survived because her father had hid her in a milk crate. She, along with thousands of other orphans, had been moved to the capital in the aftermath to be raised by foster families until they were old enough to enlist. Not that anyone hesitated, even for a second, before signing up to take the fight back to those damned omnics.

She had always fought to be the best in the army camps until even her superior officers recognized her talent and drive to succeed. The army camps had not only shone a light on her determination, but had also unearthed her natural talent for leadership and working in teams. 

They put her on a squad with fourteen other cadets to test the new, state-of-the-art Z3H7 Gravity Well Projector prototypes. In the end, only five people were accepted to wield such a mighty machine in the heat of battle, and you bet your ass Zarya had made sure that she was the first to be accepted. 

Zarya hadn’t known the four other selected cadets-- Boris, Anton, Izzie, and Klavdiya-- but when they were accepted she gave each one a hug and handshake and made them all a promise: 

“After your first battle, come to me, and I will buy each and every one of you a drink.”

In the end, only two came back. 

Aside from Zarya, only Izzie and Boris returned. Anton's gun had malfunctioned mid-firefight and had exploded on him rather than fire at the omnics he had been fighting, and the force of the gravity well had ripped his body into pieces, his blood soaking the snow with the worst shade of crimson. 

Klavdiya had been overwhelmed by omnic rebels elsewhere, in the westernmost corner of the battlefront. 

When Boris and Izzie returned from defending Port Liam, Zarya spared them the gruesome details of Anton's death and neglected to recall the stories of Klavdiya, crushed from the waist down, had been rendered prone in horrifying amounts of pain for hours before an elder soldier found her and put a bullet in her brain to spare her. 

However, she never broke her promise to buy them drinks, and in the end bought the whole damn bar and toasted to her fallen brother and sister.

 

7 years later.

 

Omnics could not feel. They didn't know pain. They didn't know loss. They didn't know anger or hatred or love or happiness, right? No, omnics were emotionless abominations who knew only one thing: to kill. So when Zarya saw something crawling away from a firefight in which both sides had lost all others involved, she thought it may have been a comrade in need of medical attention. What she found instead was a scared, skeletal omnic crawling away from her.

With a growl, Zarya kicked the beast onto its back and looked down at it with a piercing glare. What looked back at her was a model D7, one of the relatively newer shells, with its half of its faceplate torn clean off, and both legs nowhere in sight. 

She picked the mangled hunk of metal up by the neck and pulled its head off with one swift motion, sparks flying from the severed cords, a metallic wail dying in its mouth. 

Looking the omnic in the eyes, she put its head between her hands and slowly started applying more and more pressure. 

"N-n-no, please sto-p-p!" the omnic cried, desperate.

"Why should I stop omnic!?” she snarled in response, tightening her grip.

15 pounds of pressure.

“Did you stop when my family and so many others were wailing in fear and begging you to stop?! Did you stop the mortars from leveling my hometown, omnic?!”

20 pounds. 

“You best start praying, metal scum. I will never forget what you did to my family!” 50 pounds. “Your wretched kind will fall before Russia's might!” 100 pounds. The omnic’s skull was beginning to bend. She paid no mind to the fact that the lights within it had died out.

"I will never forgive you or your kind for what you did, do you understand?! I will fight until my dying breath to wipe your race from this planet!" 

250 pounds of pressure. It happened in a blink-- the omnic’s skull crumpled like a tin can, almost as if it was folding in on itself, and Zarya tossed it aside like the garbage it was. 

Zarya huffed a sigh and made her way back to her snowmobile. It was getting dark and she needed to get back to base to report the deaths of the soldiers who died here. The victory felt pyrrhic.

 

11 hours later.

 

Zarya had just sat down on her cot when a knock at her door made her get right back up again. She huffed, cracking her knuckles before slamming open the door. "What do you want no--" 

“Hello, Lieutenant Zaryanova. My name is Mei-Ling Zhou, and I have a very interesting offer for you," said the small woman in the doorway, who Zarya could only assume was this Mei-Ling Zhou person.

Zarya was stunned only for a moment before responding, voice tense, eyes narrowed in scrutiny. "What is this offer and why are you knocking on my door so late in the night? I am trying to rest." 

Mei paused before replying. "As I said, I have a very interesting offer for all involved. Shall we sit down? I’m sure you will want to hear this out."

This Mei-Ling Zhou was sure talking up a storm about this offer. Inwardly, Zarya was hoping beyond hope that this wasn't another recruiter looking to bring her back to this year's Olympics. 

"First of all, I cannot stress enough that everything that is said in this room is completely entirely confidential and cannot be spoken of beyond these walls. Do you understand?" Mei asked, and sure, her tone was pleasant, but Zarya had enough experience to know that there was a threat in there somewhere. Not that Zarya cared-- she could handle the best of them-- but she was still wary. 

So, she nodded, figuring it would be easier to simply comply.

"I am a part of a secret organization who has recalled recently and we wish to ask for your assistance in the omnic crisis," Mei said, and Zarya appreciated how she was short and to the point,

A thought struck her, somewhere out of the blue, and she thought for a moment before putting two and two together. 

"You’re a member of the new Overwatch, aren't you?" 

It was Mei's turn to be stunned into silence. The shorter woman paused, her eyes simultaneously guarded and curious, before slowly nodding in confirmation.

"How could you know?"

"Seriously? I am Alexandra Zaryanova, Olympics champion and renowned fighter of the Siberian front-- I have many contacts and resources that help me in finding out what I need to know. There have been whispers of Overwatch’s reformation, but I did not believe it until now." 

Mei’s tense, slightly concerned expression lingered for a moment longer before relaxing into her former positive and formal composure. 

"I see. This could be... problematic. If you’ll excuse me, I need to make a call to my superiors. You stay here and think over my proposition. Oh,and keep in mind that you would be saving many lives and helping thousands and thousands of people, should you accept. If not that, the salary would surely be sufficient as well," Mei said with a wry smirk before exiting the tent.

Zarya wasted no time in sitting down at her cot, still tired from the day's fight. What should I do? she thought. If I go I can help so many more people then I could here.

What was that phrase that had been on that old Overwatch poster that had hung in her room in Lytkarino? "The world could always use more heroes." Some catchy phrase beneath Overwatch’s infamous pilot and poster girl, Tracer, who had randomly disappeared one day after a test flight. The UN had held a press conference afterwards involving the incident, broadcasted for the whole world to see. 

The memory was still fresh in her mind:

"In an unfortunate turn of events, Overwatch’s charismatic Agent Lena Oxton has gone missing today. We believe it may have been a malfunction of the experimental Slipstream prototype. We have many search parties out looking for any signs of a crash. We will report any findings immediately," they had said. Although people had looked and,looked,nothing was found of the pilot or her plane. 

Tracer had been Zarya’s hero and after her disappearance and her being declared MIA Zarya had wept for days afterwards.

When Zarya blinked herself out of her thoughts, her decision had long been made.

"Lieutenant Zaryanova?" Mei called from the other side of the tent’s door.

"Come in," Zarya said quickly. 

"Have you made a decision?" 

Zarya took no time in blurting out her answer. 

"Yes-- it would be my pleasure to join Overwatch. I do not require payment for any services I can provide, and I'm more than willing to donate the money I've made from my old Olympics competitions to the cause. Your organization probably needs money more than I do, not to mention you don't have the means to get it since your whole organization and all of you are just outlaws and vigilantes nowadays." She finished with a crooked grin, voice lilting hesitantly. This was a big step, a big risk-- the rush was something she could easily get addicted to.

Mei was quiet for a long moment before a wave of shock and relief shot across her face and she bolted towards Zarya, arms wrapping around her with strength Zarya hadn’t thought the woman possessed. 

"Oh, thank you Lieutenant. That's-- it's-- thank you." 

Zarya was startled by the hug. She had never really considered herself a hugger, and the only person she’d ever kissed before had been Izzie. Needless to say, intimacy was not her forte.

It took her a few seconds before returning the hug, albeit hesitantly. Mei froze as soon as Zarya’s hands engulfed her shoulders, and it was only a second or two more before the smaller woman realized what she was doing and jerked pack from her as if burned. 

"I'm so sorry, I-- I wasn't thinking straight and oh, I shouldn't have done that-- I'm so, so sorry!" Mei yelped frantically before bursting into tears and frantic breathing. At the outburst, Zarya froze. She didn't know how to handle emotions like this.

Be strong, Zarya.Think. How do you help her?

A memory struck her about how her dad had comforted her when she had broken both arms trying to lift a heavy weight when she was younger. 

Hesitantly, she rested a hand on Mei's shoulder. “It’s alright, Маленький. I did not mind. You are a very nice hugger," she said gently. "Please don't cry. You did nothing wrong."

She wrapped her arms around Mei once more and pulled her close, rubbing slow circles into the small of her back. After several minutes of doing this, Mei seemed to calm down. 

"Thank you, Lieutenant. I don't know why I flipped out-- I'm sorry for crying on you," Mei whispered.

Still holding her, Zarya told her once more it was alright and not to worry about it. Internally, however Zarya was a little less than calm. 

Am I doing this right? Will she be okay? What do I say? Should I say something? Should I say anything? Should I let go? Should I--

She felt a slight strain against the hug as Mei lifted her head up, her face flushed red and stained with tears.

“Thank you Lieutenant. I look forward to working with you as a teammate and a friend.”

Zarya was again shocked for a moment before answering quickly and confidently.  
“I feel the same way, Ms. Zhou, and thank you for saying so,” Zarya said with a small smile. 

They fell into a comfortable silence, each of them looking at the other, Mei with her still red face and tear stained eyes, and Zarya with a small smile and an emotion she hadn't felt in a long time-- a liking for someone.

Mei’s phone buzzed and she visibly frowned.

“It’s time for me to take my leave. I am needed back at base. It was very nice meeting you, Lieutenant, and I look forward to seeing you again.”

“Mei, you do not have to call me ‘Lieutenant’ anymore. It is but just a title after all, and besides that, my comrades have taken to calling me Zarya. Some even call me Aleks.”

“Thank you... Zarya. We are stationed at a watchpoint in Yukon when you are ready to join us.”

Zarya made a face similar to confusion. “Canada? From one cold place to another. I was hoping to get a tan!” she joked with an award-winning grin.

Mei laughed-- no, giggled at the jest. The sound made Zarya’s heart do an odd flop in her chest.

“Zarya, you are--” another giggle “--hilarious, and here I was thinking Tracer was the comedian.” 

Zarya’s whole body froze. Did she say Tracer? How could she be alive there's no way? Ask her. Ask her.

Zarya’s sudden frightened expression and defensive stance killed Mei’s laughter in less than a second .

“Zarya? Are you alright? Is something wrong?”

Zarya slowly came back to reality and when she did everything was fuzzy and blurred. 

“Pardon for asking but-- did you say Tracer was alive?”

“Yes, why?”

Zarya looked her in the eyes and said:

“She was my hero as a child. I had her poster and everything. I wept when I heard about her disappearance.”

Mei frowned. “She is alive and better than ever. It's really a long story and you should ask her when you get to Yukon.” She looked at her watch and gasped. “Lieutenant I really must go, but thank you very much for having me-- see you soon!” 

With a quickness that was most unexpected, she disappeared out of the tent. 

Zarya sighed. Time to get packed and say goodbye. And with a grunt she moved to her duffle to start packing.


	2. The Revolving Doors To Nowhere

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zarya gets acquainted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all I tried so hard to get this out on time really I did I'm sorry I'll try to upload every two to three weeks now instead I'm sorry.

“Everyone to the square now!”  
Alexsandra could hear screams and people crying. She knew what was happening.

“No-one move!”

She felt like crying her eyes out but if she did she knew the omnics would hear her.

“Everyone stand side by side!”

She had to stay strong. She couldn't fail now.

“Kneel down on your knees hands above your heads!”

Just a little long-

Gunshots rang out across the courtyard and everything got really quiet …. 

and somehow the silence got quieter and then…..

nothing happened. The omnics had completed their mission and Zarya's family was gone but with them the omnics left.

 

Now landing in (Yukon International Airport) please enjoy your stay.

Zarya absentmindedly thought about how cheap and obviously old animated intercom system and how it still managed to function properly. She meandered her way through the airport trying to find the contact Mei had set up.

“ZARYA CAN I GET YOUR AUTOGRAPH!”

Zarya turned around to meet an unexpected sight; a small girl no older than nine was sprinting at full force towards Zarya with a look of pure glee. Zarya smiled she always loved signing children's autographs.

Zarya noticed something odd about her though; she was missing an arm and her left leg was obviously a prosthetic and she had scars all over her body. Zarya’s suddenly cheerful and calm inner mood was gone as quick as it had came. Zarya suddenly felt infuriated and impossibly at the same time powerless. Her thoughts though we're immediately shifted to a positive disposition because she knew children could sense emotions better than other and she wanted to make sure this was a good experience for the girl.

 

“It's so cool to meet you! I watched all your Olympic competitions!” she said in English

Zarya was so used to speaking Russian but nevertheless was not about to miss a beat.

“The pleasure is all mine dear what's your name?”

“My name is Stefanie, And I'm your biggest fan!”

The girl handed zarya a piece of paper and zarya signed it wholeheartedly.  
Zarya finished autographing it and handed it back to the one armed girl.

“Here you go Stefanie. Enjoy your vacation.”

The girl ran back to her lone father who was standing with a sad smile. Zarya put two with two and assumed the girl lost her mom as well as her arm and her leg. Zarya felt for the girl but had to get going or she would miss her taxi to where Mei had said an agent would meet her to take her to the base.

\--Later--

Zarya's flight was long but she arrived at 5:00 P.M. so everyone was awake to meet her. The only one who was actually there though was the leader of Overwatch: Winston 

“Lieutenant Nova it is good to finally meet you.” said Winston.

“More people would've been to meet you but four are out on a mission and the rest are enjoying a little rest and relaxation as most of the time something is going on that requires our attention.”

“It's good to finally be here Winston the flight was long and jet lag spares none.” Zarya said with a large yawn.

“Please this way I'll have Lieutenant Wilhelm escort you to your room.” 

“Wilhelm? Where have I heard that before?”

“He holds the record for the largest man alive in the Guinness World Record books. Not to mention he used to be in the original Overwatch before it was… banned under the Petris Act.”  
Zarya could tell how talking about the old overwatch unnerved Winston. So she decided to steer clear of the topic.

“Winston can I ask you a question?”

“Absolutely if you need anything at all please feel free to ask any of the members no-one here bites Lieutenant.”

“Where is Tracer? I was hoping to get the chance to meet her.”

“She is currently on a mission with Bastion, D.va, and Lucio, but she should be back in a week or so she just shipped out this morning.”

“Thank you Winston now if you really don't mind I must rest.”

“Athena will you please alert Lieutenant Wilhelm that we need him as soon as possible.”

Zarya almost jumped when a monitor popped out of the ceiling and started circling her.

The AI known as Athena stopped after circling her three times.

“No concealed weapons please Ms. Nova”

Zarya was not sure she would like this thing watching her. With a growl she pulled out a knife from a small holster on her right calf and a small pistol out of her boot.

“There is no reason to fear any of the members here Lieutenant.” 

“It's not the members I'm worried about Winston.” Said Zarya while giving Athena a glare that would make most soldiers piss there pants.

Winston couldn't understand what Zarya meant for a moment before remembering Russia's past and remembering that Zarya's entire family had been killed by omnics.

“I can assure you that Athena can do no harm to anyone she is confined to a secure room in each watchpoint and not only that she is an AI she can only access information and contact people. She can easily be shut down and transported with the command key which only I have.”

Zarya pulled her eyes away from Athena and looked at Winston instead.

“Where is Lieutenant Wilh-

“HELLO FRIENDS I APOLOGIZE FOR TAKING SO LONG I WAS BUSY SPARRING WITH ROADHOG!” said the incredibly loud mountain of a man know as Reinhardt Wilhelm

Reinhardt first looked from Winston to Zarya and when he saw Zarya he deadpanned.

“IS THAT ALEXSANDRA ZARYANOVA WORLD'S STRONGEST WOMAN AND WINNER OF SEVEN GOLD MEDALS!”

“yup”

Reinhardt bounded towards her with a look of pure and holy glee. Zarya thought of the girl this morning...

“IT'S SO GOOD TO FINALLY MEET YOU MS. NOVA I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'RE HERE WE MUST ARM WRESTLE SOMETIME. WE HAVE TO SPAR AS WELL I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOUR TECHNIQUE.” 

Zarya was starting to lose her hearing from this man's incessant shouting, but nonetheless she smiled and shook his hand.

“I will do anything you like just take me to my room. I'm exhausted from the flight.”

Reinhardt's smile was almost shocked off his face due to the abruptness, but he understood a started towards Zarya’s room.

“OF COURSE I APOLOGIZE FOLLOW ME PLEASE.”

“Thank you Reinhardt I am very tired.”

Zarya shut her door, shed her day clothing, slipped on a pair of comfortable pajamas, and slipped right into bed. Immediately falling asleep from exhaustion.

\--LATER--

ALERT 

ALERT

ALERT 

Everyone to the briefing room immediately.

ALERT

ALERT

ALERT

Zarya awoke with a start. An omnic had already awoken her once this morning to see if she wanted to go meditate on one of the balconies to which she immediately slammed the door in its face. What could Winston possibly want at 7 in the morning? Zarya slipped on a pair clean sweat pants, and followed the signs to the briefing room.

When everyone made it to the briefing room the only one who looked awake was Winston who had a look that could only be worry.

“Everyone please settle down I wouldn't have woken you up if it wasn't an emergency.”

That made everyone worry a little, but nonetheless they looked tired. A blond woman with blue eyes looked like she hadn't slept in weeks. A Japanese looking man with a kimono and a single nipple sticking out looked ready to kill someone, but when she looked over at Reinhardt he looked as happy as usual.

“Everyone I have bad news; I have received an emergency distress signal from Jack Morrison the former head of Overwatch who was thought to be dead. He said he was stranded in Mexico City, Mexico,and needed immediate evacuation. Now seeing as this isn't the old overwatch I want all of your opinions.”

With that the room was divided. The old members gasped and some started crying. The news ones--except Zarya who knew Jack Morrison was presumed dead at the battle at Sweden-- where just kinda lost.

“Well I guess I'll give you all time to decide but we don't have long he said it was urgent.”

After an hour of deliberation if was unanimously voted that they should go help Jack. So they all piled onto a plane-- except Hanzo, Zenyatta, Junkrat and at Junkrats insistence Roadhog.

Zarya asked Winston why they needed so much firepower and all he would say was:

“Jack said bring as many as I could.”

Everyone picked their corners in the massive two level cargo plane. Zarya was on the bottom level with two women who stuck with one another. One white with blond hair and the other brown with black hair and…. and eye tattoo? She was also accompanied by a very very short man with a very big beard, and finally a Indian woman who was in a video call with a Korean looking woman. Zarya suddenly realized she hadn't seen Mei at all since returning.

Zarya got up and walked up to the second level to where Winston had hunkered down for the flight.

“Winston where's mei?”

“She is piloting the ship at the moment. Usually Lena does it or if not her Hana but as neither of them are here Mei had to fly. She should be done once she plots the course and sets the ship to autopilot.”

Zarya had nothing better to do until Mei got done so she decided to meet some new people. No, conversations weren't her forte, but she couldn't go around fighting with overwatch without knowing anyone but four people. Zarya walked up to the blond lady and her Egyptian friend.

“Hello I'm Zarya I've just recently joined Overwatch and thought I should meet some people.”

The two were talking quietly to one another while cuddled up with a blanket, but nevertheless stopped and looked up as Zarya approached.

“Oh. Um hello Zarya it's very nice to finally meet you I would've introduced myself but as the resident mom of Overwatch I'm usually exhausted and trying to rest or swamped with work so I don't have much free time. I'm Angela Ziegler, and my callsign is Mercy. Although most of the new younger members just call me Mom.”

Zarya held out her hand and Mercy shook it with a smile.

“And I'm Pharah but my real name is Fareeha Amari. Although you can call me whatever you like.”

Zarya shook hands with Fareeha as well.

“Would you like me to introduce you to everyone? I know it can be difficult to meet new people. Especially in a new environment.”

Zarya was inwardly thankful for the woman as Zarya was not good with meeting new people either.

“Come on follow me I'll introduce you to everyone.” said Mercy.

As Zarya met everyone, from the midget engineer Torbjorn to the colossal robot Orisia. Zarya was dumbfounded but the large array of people she was seeing. There were people from all different ethnicities and all different backgrounds and speciality's it was making Zarya's head spin. Zarya had been around non Russian people before like at the Olympics but this was ridiculous.

After meeting everyone Zarya told Angela she was gonna nap the rest of the way. She was a little disappointed not to have gotten the chance to talk to Mei but she was tired anyways.

Upon returning to her seat she found a note 

Dear Zarya  
Thank you for coming to Watchpoint Yukon and supporting the newly reformed Overwatch I can't wait to see you and discussed your getting settled in.  
See you soon- Mei

Zarya smiled at the note but was even more disappointed that she didn't get the chance to talk to Mei. Zarya sighed and leaned back In her seat. It was gonna be a long flight……...


End file.
